Army Reporter information
for 11 LIB
174 AHC
For date 680330
11 LIB was a US Army unit
174 AHC was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
Quang Ngai Province, I Corps, South Vietnam
Location, Duc Pho
Description: The following is an edited version of an article titled "Task Force Barker Turns Tables on 3 VC Companies" dated 30 Mar 1968.
Infantry and cavalry units of the 11th LIB's TF Barker, Americal Division, backed by artillery and air strikes, turned the tables on three VC companies in actions in the southern coastal section of I Corps recently. The four-hour engagement left a total of 68 enemy dead on the battlefield by actual body count and five weapons captured. Units sweeping the area from a point near the village of My Lei to the sea were still rounding up prisoners and abandoned weapons the next day. Company A was moving into the area on a routine operation aboard APC of E/1st Cav, led by 1LT James Oley. The carriers halted to discharge troops shortly after noon, but before the men could disembark, the tracks were hit with rocket, mortar and machinegun fire. "Two of the tracks received direct hits by mortars," according to SSG Bobby J. Brown, a Co. A squad leader, "They pulled into a circle facing four directions to let the troops out, and began shooting back with their .50 cal. machine guns and M60s. CPL Joseph N. Mason Jr., also of Co. A, was inside one of the APCs which was hit by a mortar round. He saw one of its M60 gunners get hit, took over the gun and continued to return fire. Support fire form the 6/11th Arty was called in to hold the VC battalion-sized unit at bay, and Air Force F-105 Thunderchiefs came in to blast enemy positions. The 11th Bde's Aviation Detachment and Shark gunships from the 174th AHC arrived on the scene to cover the APCs and Co A's advance. Ground troops and cavalry continued t o receive heavy mortar and automatic weapons fire, and more air strikes were called. "In all, we called four air strikes by the Air Force and had helicopters on station over the area, three different times," LTC Frank Barker, task force commander, said. CPT Patrick Trinkle, Co. A commander, in the field with his troops, was wounded by a bullet and shrapnel in the shoulder and legs at 2:30 p.m., but remained in command of his company until the enemy broke contact at about 5:30 p.m. "The units were able to sweep the entire area to the coast and back," COL Barker stated. The search for enemy dead, wounded and weapons, as well as troops hidden in spiderholes, tunnels and bunkers continued until dark. Reinforcements from B/4/3rd Inf linked up with Co. A and the two outfits set up a perimeter defense until dawn the next day. Artillery continued to provide covering fire throughout the night to check enemy movements, and an Air Force AT-47 Puff, the Magic Dragon aircraft equipped with Vulcan mini-guns flew cover over the perimeter defense most of the night. An ambush patrol by Co. B killed two VCs during the night, capturing one weapon and the two companies, with the APCs from E Troop, continued to search the area the next day.
The source for this information was 6803AR.AVN supplied by Les Hines
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023